13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (2024)

Healthy salads can be bursting with flavor, color, and texture as these recipes prove. Filled with tasty ingredients and bold flavors, these chopped salad recipes are great for lunch, dinner, or any time you need a veggie boost. The quick salad recipes won't slow you down, either. Bonus: Most of them are ready in 30 minutes or less.

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Steak Salad with White Beans and Peppers

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (1)

Instead of potatoes on the side, dress up tonight's steak dinner by serving it with a showstopper chopped salad. Navy beans, sweet piquanté peppers, and a mix of lettuce and arugula make a tasty salad that's way more interesting and flavorful than a plain baked potato. Plus, the Greek yogurt-ranch dressing keeps the calorie count low (under 500), while still getting a whopping 35 grams of protein from the steak and beans.

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Mexican Chopped Chicken Salad with Jalapeño Dressing

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (2)

This Mexican chopped salad has all your favorite taco ingredients, plus a few tasty extras. Romaine lettuce, chicken, avocado, and grape tomatoes might be common additions to your taco bar, but this salad recipe mixes it up with hominy and mango slices. Serve with a spicy homemade jalapeño dressing, queso fresco, and crispy pumpkin seeds to make it really stand out.

Healthy Salad Recipes Under $3 Per Serving

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French Chopped Salad

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (3)

We can't promise that making this fresh chopped salad will turn you into a French chef, but it will bring a taste of France to your kitchen. Packed with fresh ingredients like green beans, romaine lettuce, and English cucumbers, this salad gets better with each bite. Top it off with a French-inspired homemade vinaigrette with Champagne vinegar, honey, and fresh tarragon.

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Greek-Inspired Quinoa Salad with Lemon-Feta Dressing

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (4)

Here's a protein-packed chopped salad recipe that doesn't include any meat. Chickpeas and quinoa help bring the protein count to 15 grams per serving. Finish with pita chips for extra crunch and a drizzle of quality olive oil to bring everything together.

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Winter Bulgur Salad with Olive Dressing

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This healthy chopped salad recipe starts with bulgur and ends with homemade olive dressing and crumbles of feta cheese. In between, mix in fresh veggies like cauliflower, chicories, and chopped celery. To make this salad super enticing, layer the ingredients in a trifle bowl so you can see each veggie.

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Spicy Salad with Roasted Veggies

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Prepare for an explosion of flavor! This hearty chopped salad recipe features roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, and delicata squash. Tossed in a fresh, slightly spicy dressing (thanks to the nutty homemade suya spice blend), you'll be coming back for second helpings.

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Mexican Edamame and Couscous Salad

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (7)

This chop salad recipe will have you excited to make a salad for dinner (or lunch). This vibrant, healthy Mexican salad recipe takes only 30 minutes to make, but it's packed with good-for-you ingredients like couscous, black beans, and tons of fresh veggies. Shake together a simple cilantro dressing to drizzle on top, and this Mexican recipe will taste even better than takeout.

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Farro, Chickpeas, and Greens

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (8)

Utilizing plant-based ingredients such as chickpeas and farro bulk up this easy vegetarian salad's nutritional value with 16 grams of protein per serving. You'll also get a healthy dose of fiber. The vinaigrette is made with some lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil for a simple dressing that really helps meld the flavors together.

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Southwest-Style Salad with Pickled Jalapeño Dressing

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (9)

This Southwest-style chopped salad is loaded with so many delicious ingredients you just might lose track of the lettuce. Spicy chicken, red cabbage, avocado, corn, and grape tomatoes are just a few. And instead of croutons, keep the Southwest theme going by sprinkling your salad with broken tortilla chips.

31 Healthy Mexican Recipes for a Mexican Night Made Light

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Chopped Green Salad

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (10)

This easy chopped salad recipe is loaded with greens such as spinach, cucumbers, broccoli, green beans, and edamame. That's a ton of veggies, but they're so tasty, especially with a fresh herb dressing. You'll get a generous helping of vitamins A and K here as well as calcium. We also snuck a serving of fruit into this salad while sticking to the "green" theme by mixing in green grapes.

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Fresh Taco Salad

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This zesty taco salad recipe has a hint of heat thanks to fresh jalapeño pepper slices sprinkled throughout. Of course, that's not the only attraction. It also has fresh corn, tomatoes, avocado, and black beans on a bed of mixed salad greens. If you want this salad to be a more filling meal, try adding some cooked chicken breast to it! Drizzle everything with cilantro ranch dressing, then dive in fork-first.

Fresh and Healthy Taco Ideas Worthy of a Fiesta

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Chopped Holiday Salad

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This fresh chopped salad recipe is certainly special enough to serve during the holidays, but there's also no reason why you can't make it all year-round. The ingredients (green peppers, cucumber, rsed radicchio, and radishes) make it a festive and healthy holiday treat for less than 200 calories per serving. For the best flavors, make this salad ahead of time (up to 24 hours), then let the veggies soak in the dressing in the fridge.

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Grilled Watermelon Salad

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13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (12)

If you haven't had melon in a salad before, you should definitely give it a shot. Grilling slices of watermelon add a nice charred flavor to the fruit in this chopped salad featuring healthy quinoa, romaine, avocado, and freshly-pickled radish. The honey-lime dressing is the perfect sweet and tangy finish to this summer salad.

13 Healthy Chopped Salad Recipes That Are Anything but Boring (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest salad you can eat? ›

10 Nutrient-Dense Salad Recipes
  • Low-Carb Asian Chopped Salad.
  • Spicy Shrimp, Avocado, and Arugula Salad.
  • Tofu and Kale Salad.
  • Pear, Grape, and Feta Salad.
  • Mediterranean Chicken Salad.
  • Blood Orange and Quinoa Kale Salad.
  • Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad.
  • Roasted Chickpea and Kale Salad.
Jul 20, 2021

How to make salads less boring? ›

7 Ways to Spice Up Your Boring Salad
  1. 1) Get Creative with Dressings. Salad dressings can really make or break a salad. ...
  2. 2) Top It Off With Something Crunchy. ...
  3. 3) Throw in Some Fruit. ...
  4. 4) Mix in Some Grains. ...
  5. 5) Experiment with Different Proteins. ...
  6. 6) Try Some Different Veggies. ...
  7. 7) Add Some Cheese. ...
  8. The Bottom Line.
Feb 21, 2023

What's healthier than a salad? ›

  • Avocado Toast. Toast, indeed bread, in general, is often vilified and a no-go for many. ...
  • Vegetable Soup. This can take any guise; a smooth creamy soup, a clear broth with chopped vegetables thrown in or a more chunky thick minestrone style soup. ...
  • Hummus on Toast. ...
  • Buddha Bowl. ...
  • One Pan-fried Eggs and Veg.

What salad has the most nutritional value? ›

When it comes to leafy greens, darker is better. They have the most nutrients. Case in point: Kale and spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce.

What to avoid in salad for weight loss? ›

Crunchy Noodles, Wontons, and Tortilla Strips

“Crunchy noodles are like eating chips,” says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D.N., creator of BetterThanDieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It. All they add to your salad are calories (around 120 per half cup) and fat (half of those calories, at around 60 grams).

What can I put in my salad to make it taste better? ›

12 Easy Ways to Make Salad Taste Amazing – Seriously
  1. Make Your Salad a Spectacle. ...
  2. Mix and Match Leaves. ...
  3. Upgrade Your Salad Dressings. ...
  4. Massage Your Salad Greens. ...
  5. Toss in Cooked Veggies. ...
  6. Add Fresh Herbs. ...
  7. Sweeten with Fruit. ...
  8. Heat Your Salad Dressing.
Mar 9, 2022

What are the seven things that you should not do when preparing the salad? ›

Common Salad Mistakes
  1. Here are seven things you should NOT do when making salads: Too much dressing. ...
  2. Pouring on the dressing. ...
  3. Wet salad leaves. ...
  4. Not seasoning it. ...
  5. Subpar salad dressings. ...
  6. Uncreative toppings. ...
  7. Served in a bowl.
May 13, 2013

What is not healthy in a salad? ›

Prepared salad dressings can be high in fat and sodium and are often a hidden source of extra sugar. Large amounts of prepared salad dressing or toppings such as cheese, dried fruits, and croutons can turn a healthy salad into a very high-calorie meal.

What is healthier, a sandwich or salad? ›

With fillings, most sandwiches hit 600 to 900 calories and 1,000 to 2,500 mg of sodium. In contrast, a full salad starts with greens (maybe even spinach) and raw veggies. With dressing, chicken, cheese, and other usual add-ons, the totals typically hit 400 to 600 calories.

What is the healthiest salad to eat everyday? ›

here are some easy and healthy salads:
  • Simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots.
  • Greek salad with veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, and olives, plus feta cheese.
  • Quinoa salad with veggies, avocado, and a lemon dressing.
  • Chicken salad with lettuce, grilled chicken, cheese, and dressing.
Feb 12, 2022

What's the healthiest salad dressing? ›

8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
  1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
  2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  3. Avocado lime. ...
  4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
  5. Honey mustard. ...
  6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
  7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
  8. Ginger turmeric.
Jul 27, 2023

What is the healthiest lettuce to eat? ›

Romaine lettuce: This lettuce is high in nutritional content. A traditional salad base, romaine lettuce contains healthy amounts of the minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. It also has high amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin K.

Which salad lettuce is the healthiest? ›

Romaine lettuce: This lettuce is high in nutritional content. A traditional salad base, romaine lettuce contains healthy amounts of the minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. It also has high amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin K.

How do I choose a healthy salad? ›

Go (dark) green: "When it comes to salad greens, the darker the leaf, the higher the nutrient content," says Armul. Emerald–hued leaves have the most vitamins and minerals, so it makes sense to choose ones like spinach, kale or collards instead of, say, iceberg lettuce.

Is it good to eat a salad everyday? ›

There is concern that the body does not easily absorb raw fruits and vegetables. Generally speaking, this has proved false. People who eat salad regularly are much more likely to fulfill their recommended intake of nutrients. Eating a salad every day is healthy because you get vital nutrients, fiber, and good fats.

Which salad dressing is the healthiest? ›

8 Simple and Healthy Salad Dressings
  1. Sesame ginger. This simple salad dressing doubles as an easy marinade for meat, poultry, or roasted veggies. ...
  2. Balsamic vinaigrette. ...
  3. Avocado lime. ...
  4. Lemon vinaigrette. ...
  5. Honey mustard. ...
  6. Greek yogurt ranch. ...
  7. Apple cider vinaigrette. ...
  8. Ginger turmeric.
Jul 27, 2023

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